Express Entry rounds of invitations: Category-based selection

In category-based rounds of invitations, we invite candidates in the Express Entry pool who are eligible for a specific category established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal. We invite candidates to apply for permanent residence based on criteria such as

ability to communicate in a specific official language
work experience in a specific occupation
education

Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet these specific economic goals.

We’ll announce the chosen categories in advance.

Candidates with a provincial or territorial nomination

We’ll continue to invite candidates with a provincial or territorial nomination through general and Provincial Nominee Program-specific rounds. These candidates have demonstrated they have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the province or territory’s economy.

Step-by-step guide to category-based selection in Express Entry

This step-by-step guide shows how category-based selection differs from the current Express Entry process and which steps are the same.

A step-by-step guide to category-based selection in Express Entry (PDF, 2.1 MB)

Text version: A step-by-step guide to category-based selection in Express Entry

Show your interest
Create an online Express Entry profile in your IRCC secure account.
We place you in the Express Entry pool
If you’re eligible for one of the programs under Express Entry (federal skilled worker class, federal skilled trades class or Canadian experience class) we’ll place you in the Express Entry pool.
Check your Comprehensive Ranking System score
While your Express Entry profile is in the pool, we’ll assign you a score based on your points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). You can view your score in your IRCC account.
We identify candidates eligible for a category
We identify candidates in the pool, based on their profile, who are eligible for a specific category the Minister established.
We rank your Express Entry profile
We rank eligible candidates based on their CRS score.
We run a round of invitations
In all round types, we invite eligible candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply to an economic immigration program. In category-based rounds, candidates must also be eligible for a given category to be invited.
Apply for permanent residence
If you receive an invitation to apply, you have 60 days to submit an application for a specific program in Express Entry.
We make a decision on your application
We make a decision based on program eligibility, the accuracy of the information in your profile, category eligibility and whether you’re admissible to Canada.

How we choose and report on categories

We choose categories based on

labour market information and projections
input we received from our partners, including provinces and territories, and stakeholders across the country

Each year, we’ll report to Parliament on

the categories we chose the previous year
why and how we chose them
the instructions to establish a category
the number of invitations we issued for each category

We’ll also

include information about category-based selection in the Express Entry Year-End Report
monitor and assess categories on a regular basis

Current categories

French-language proficiency
Healthcare occupations
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
Trade occupations
Transport occupations
Agriculture and agri-food occupations

Who is eligible

To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based round, you must

meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for 1 of the 3 immigration programs it covers and
meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

When we hold a category-based round of invitations, we’ll

rank candidates in the pool who meet the category requirements and
invite top-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence